It's better to lose early in the season.

[homes]

In looking at the teams ahead of Iowa in the rankings, I think it is premature to write Iowa out of the NC picture. Several of those teams will, by necessity since they'll play each other, lose at least once, and many will lose more than once. If Iowa keeps winning (and I think they will), everything is still on the table for them. If they keep winning, by the time they play OSU, they'll be well back in the top 10, and playing the No. 2 team in the country. It's just too early in the season to say they're out. And if they don't make it, it's not like the Rose Bowl is a consolation prize. Who wouldn't love a re-match with Arizona?

 

[sergeanthulka]

In looking at the teams ahead of Iowa in the rankings, I think it is premature to write Iowa out of the NC picture. Several of those teams will, by necessity since they'll play each other, lose at least once, and many will lose more than once. If Iowa keeps winning (and I think they will), everything is still on the table for them. If they keep winning, by the time they play OSU, they'll be well back in the top 10, and playing the No. 2 team in the country. It's just too early in the season to say they're out. And if they don't make it, it's not like the Rose Bowl is a consolation prize. Who wouldn't love a re-match with Arizona?

Agree. That's of course looking wayyy too far ahead. The team will have a very difficult week of preparation this week as we are really banged up & mentally, I assume the hangover will be tough to overcome.

But big picture, I expect this team to continue to stay plugged in & improve every week. No game remaining will be as tough as the one we just played...

 

[JPOHawk]

Please enough of this NC Koolaide nonsense. To suggest that we are an elite team at this date is foolish after the results of Saturday's game in the desert.

We need to focus on the game in front of us each week, total team improvement and winning games and let the cards fall where they may. With this formula, we can grow into an elite team and Capt. Kirk can provide the vision for such action.

With all of the BCS politics there are too many variables teams cannot control. But for sure, winning cures many sins.

 

[jameskalina]

Please enough of this NC Koolaide nonsense. To suggest that we are an elite team at this date is foolish after the results of Saturday's game in the desert.

We need to focus on the game in front of us each week, total team improvement and winning games and let the cards fall where they may. With this formula, we can grow into an elite team and Capt. Kirk can provide the vision for such action.

With all of the BCS politics there are too many variables teams cannot control. But for sure, winning cures many sins.

Well said.

 

[MidnightBlueSix]

No, it's not a pipe dream or some crazy claptrap. Look at it this way. At 2-1 we're ahead of where we were last year at 3-0. We're the highest-ranked one loss team. 6 Big Ten teams are ranked compared to 3 Big XII teams. If it comes down to a one-loss Iowa or a one-loss Texas/Oklahoma/Nebraska, we'd have the upper hand.

 

[Jeebus]

Iowa didn't look very good on Saturday but that doesn't mean they don't have the ability to compete with anyone in the country.

The fact that they squandered their best chance in 50 years for an NCAA championship is what makes this loss so difficult.

Everyone pointed to this game as an ambush and they STILL choked it away.

 

[IowaFanSince82]

College Football is a fun time of year, no matter no team is safe. I seriously have seen a lot of the teams play and there are only 2 teams right now that have distanced themselves from everyone else. OSU & Alabama have looked pretty darn good in their first few games. After those two I don't know who is that elite, Oklahoma struggled with Air Foce. Boise State will be undefeated but their only signature win went into the tank in Va Tech. Oregon looks pretty good, but they haven't really played anyone tough yet. Florida is not that great, Arkansas is pretty good, but they struggled last weekend.

So there is really no set in stone teams outside of Alabama and OSU. And the neat thing is we get to play 1 of them, so who knows?

I think Iowa will learn from this loss and move on. I don't think we play for the NC, and I don't think we get a BCS bid, but a jan 1 bowl game isn't a bad deal either.

All I know is there is a TONS of football to be played, I hate to say it I think Iowa has a favorable schedule and its theirs for the taking. If we can get back to the basics and fix a few things, we are going to be a very good football team and who knows upsets happen and the hawks could sneak their way back into the top 10 and possibly higher!

 

[jesterapparel]

No, it's not a pipe dream or some crazy claptrap. Look at it this way. At 2-1 we're ahead of where we were last year at 3-0. We're the highest-ranked one loss team. 6 Big Ten teams are ranked compared to 3 Big XII teams. If it comes down to a one-loss Iowa or a one-loss Texas/Oklahoma/Nebraska, we'd have the upper hand.

It's true, it can still happen more than people realize. But three things need to happen. 1. Alabama lose before we play OSU. 2. OSU not only be undeafeted but pounding it's opponents and are #1 going into Kinnick.
We need to be top 8 and if we beat the #1 team we may be able to jump up to number 3 or so, than the agrument would be if TCU and Boise should deserve over us. (would help greatly if they lost to someone because Iowa would be ranked ahead of them with no worries) 3. We would need no other undefeated BCS team. It would help greatly if SEC champ had two losses.

Now, with that all that said, I may have a better chance making the final table at the Main Event in Vegas.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

It's better to have loved & lost than to never have loved at all.

 

[Churlish79]

Let the NC cards fall as they may.

But, our priority is the Big Ten Championship (or going undefeated in the Big Ten), Rose Bowl, and such..

I will admit, an Arizona rematch would be cool. But, bowl committees tend to shy away from rematches, no?

 

[briankaldenberg]

In the grand scheme of things this was "the perfect loss" is we had to lose. It was non-conference, on the road and we were underdogs by the time kickoff rolled around.

Then the way we lost was also beneficial. It isn't like we got run all over and passed all over. We lost because of a fluke pick 6, a punt block and a kickoff return. We were able to withstand all of this and had a chance to win the game late.

If you had to pick a game to lose this was the one to pick on our schedule this year.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I've always liked rematches of high-profile games. This is why I don't know why the Big 10 shyed away at the thought of OSU vs Michigan rematch when re-aligning. It adds a whole other dimension or story line to the game.

 

[Saginawbay]

Long season what were odds of national championship game anyway Hawks need too focus on Big ten and take care of it.

 

[hawkinn3]

Iowa didn't look very good on Saturday but that doesn't mean they don't have the ability to compete with anyone in the country.

The fact that they squandered their best chance in 50 years for an NCAA championship is what makes this loss so difficult.

Everyone pointed to this game as an ambush and they STILL choked it away.

Not to call you out but I hear this alot since the loss and really don't agree. I think last year's team was much better then this one and yet nobody cried after the NU game because of our lost NC. Hell, last year was this years team just with a great shut down corner, two of the best LBs of the Ferentz era, and a first round left tackle. Last year's team was better then this years, so if we wanna get technical last year we squandered our best chance of a NC in 50 years we just didn't have the expectation of that great of a team going in.

Same thing can apply to 02, nobody got upset after the ISU game because we missed out on a NC but thats what happened, we win that game we may have gotten in over OSU. Why? Expectations, the only difference.

 

[bhawk326]

Hawkinn3, I really don't think Iowa would have gotten chosen over OSU for the National Championship. Iowa started the season unranked and OSU started 12th in Coaches and 13th in the AP.

 

[hawkinn3]

Maybe not but thats not really my point. There is a good chance we could have gone undefeated this year and not gone to the NC either.

 

[Xerxes]

Please enough of this NC Koolaide nonsense. To suggest that we are an elite team at this date is foolish after the results of Saturday's game in the desert.

We need to focus on the game in front of us each week, total team improvement and winning games and let the cards fall where they may. With this formula, we can grow into an elite team and Capt. Kirk can provide the vision for such action.

With all of the BCS politics there are too many variables teams cannot control. But for sure, winning cures many sins.

Thank you. Jon should post this on the front page.

 

[DunderMifflinHk]

Please enough of this NC Koolaide nonsense. To suggest that we are an elite team at this date is foolish after the results of Saturday's game in the desert.

We need to focus on the game in front of us each week, total team improvement and winning games and let the cards fall where they may. With this formula, we can grow into an elite team and Capt. Kirk can provide the vision for such action.

With all of the BCS politics there are too many variables teams cannot control. But for sure, winning cures many sins.

I hate when people say "WE" need to focus on one game at a time and "WE" should only think about the next game. Unless you are a player then there is no problem with fans trying to speculate on whether or not Iowa has a chance to make it back in to NC contention. Now the players DO need to focus on improving and taking it one game at a time but don't tell fans not to speculate. That's why it's fun being fans because we can do stuff like that. Go Hawks!